Our Financial Services

 HZS BUSINESS SERVICES offers financial planning and associated services through a partnership with Australian Unity.  This enables us to offer a wide range of services in areas including personal and business superannuation, investments, insurance and finance.

 This alliance with Australian Unity ensures we have full access to the research, administration and other services only a major financial institution can afford, while still allowing our practice to stay small enough to provide friendly and personal services to our clients.

 As you may know, Australian Unity is a major financial services institution with a heritage dating back to 1840 of helping Australians to secure their financial futures.

 We are very fortunate to have Jeremy Mortimer from Australian Unity as our principal financial planner. Jeremy has extensive financial planning experience and outstanding credentials.

 Our service model is based around helping you to create a secure financial future. No matter what your situation is, whether you are in the workforce, a business owner, about to retire, or already retired, we will always be there to help you.

* Jeremy Mortimer is an authorised representative of Australian Unity Personal Financial Services Limited (ABN 26 098 725 145) AFS Licence No. 234459, 114 Albert Road, South Melbourne VIC 3205

 Our Services Include:

• ·         Personal Financial Planning
• ·         Home & Commercial Loans
• ·         Business Estate Planning
• ·         Personal Risk Insurance
• ·         Company Super Funds
• ·         Business Insurance

 Personal Financial Planning

 Retirement Planning

 If you are about to retire or already retired, we can help you arrange your finances to ensure you build a retirement income which is reliable and tax effective... and which should last for your lifetime or longer.

 We can show you how to pay little or no tax on your lump sum; and if you own a business or farm we can show you how to reduce or even eliminate tax on its sale.

In addition, we can help you arrange your finances so you maximise Centrelink benefits if that is appropriate for you.

 Superannuation Planning

We will review all of your superannuation arrangements to check if they will ultimately satisfy your retirement goals.  In particular, we will assess the following:

• ·         Are on track to retire with enough money to fund your desired lifestyle - for your entire retirement?
• ·         Is your superannuation fund performing to expectations?
• ·         Is the asset allocation appropriate?
• ·         Are you employing the right fund managers?
• ·         Are you contributing enough to super this year?
• ·         Are you taking full advantage of the new rules for super?
• ·         Should you make contributions for your spouse if they are not employed?
• ·         Are there other tax effective strategies you should be using?

 We can also advise you on all aspects of Self Managed Superannuation if that is appropriate for you.

Investment Planning

If you have a lump sum to invest or you wish to invest regular savings or superannuation contributions, we can advise you on asset allocation, investment strategies and security selection.

We can advise you on direct and managed investments in Australia, and managed funds overseas, to help you generate competitive returns with less risk... and in so doing help you achieve your financial goals.

 Redundancy Planning

We can help you invest your payout to meet your short term needs, as well as for providing for your eventual retirement. We can also develop investment strategies to help you qualify for Centrelink benefits (if this is appropriate for you) and to minimise tax on your payout and your income.

Wealth Planning

We can help you develop investment strategies to build wealth prudently and tax effectively to help you become financially independent... and to provide a more financially secure retirement.

 In addition, we can assist you in creating financial efficiencies with your mortgage, as well as protecting your financial position with the help of personal insurances.

 Estate Planning

We can advise you on how to arrange your financial affairs to ensure there is an efficient and tax effective distribution of your estate after your death. We can help you to properly fund your estate and show you strategies which can save tax for your beneficiaries and minimise the chance of your Will being challenged. We can also advise you on how to protect your estate from being eroded by your beneficiaries being subject to litigation, bankruptcy or divorce.

 Personal Risk Insurance

Protecting your financial position with the help of risk insurance is an essential strategy for most people. Risk insurance can provide financial assistance in the event of you or your spouse suffering serious illness or injury, or death.

Personal risk insurances to consider include:

• Life insurance - pays a lump sum on the death of the insured.
• Income protection insurance - replaces your income if you are unable to work due to sickness or injury. It provides a monthly payment of usually up to 75% of your pre-tax income.

You can generally choose the waiting period (this is how long you must be unable to work before the insurance begins to pay you) and the benefit period (how long the policy will pay you if you are unable to work).

• Trauma insurance - pays you a lump sum on the diagnosis of a specified non-pre-existing illness or injury, generally including heart attack, stroke, cancer, and paraplegia. This can be taken as a stand alone policy, or attached to a life insurance policy.

This insurance was created when it was realised that medical advances were resulting in patients increasingly surviving major health problems, but that the financial cost of survival was prohibitively high for patients (e.g. medical costs, medicine, time off work, rehabilitation etc). In other words, patients didn't lose their lives... they lost their life savings instead.

Home & Commercial Loans

 We have access, through our close relationship with Australian Unity, to the home & commercial loans offered by more than 20 banks and other leading lenders. This means we can find the right loan for you. In addition, we'll help you complete all the paperwork and assist you in assembling the documentation required by the lenders.

Home Loans

Paying off your home loan sooner starts with having the right home loan. We'll research the banks and other reputable lenders on your behalf to ensure you have a competitive interest rate with reasonable lender fees, and ensure you are not paying (in the form of higher interest rates) for 'bells & whistles' you'll never use.

 We can also advise you on other strategies which can help you to save a lot of money by accelerating the reduction of your debt.

Commercial Loans & Leases

We can assist you with all business loans at highly competitive rates from banks and other reputable lenders. These loans include:

• ·         Business loans for:
  • o        New business investments
  • o        Working capital
  • o        Existing loans restructuring
  • o        Business expansion
• ·         Acquisitions
• ·         Purchase of equipment
• ·         Purchase of motor vehicles
• ·         Equipment finance & leasing
• ·         Motor vehicle leasing
• ·         Debtor finance
• ·         Commercial property finance  

Company Superannuation Funds

 The key objective of a company superannuation fund is to maximise the retirement benefits for your employees.

 We can review your existing fund to check it is performing adequately in all critical areas:

• ·         Investment returns
• ·         Risk profile
• ·         Fees
• ·         Reporting
• ·         Choice of asset allocations     

If required, we can assist you in moving your employees to a more appropriate fund. We can also provide alternative fund options for those employees who wish to exercise the choice legislation, including the establishment of self managed super funds for your key employees.